Former Seminary Executive Sentenced to 15 Years in Child Porn Case
Michael Deckinga pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material.
In August 2025, Michael Deckinga, then-vice president of advancement at Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, Indiana, was charged with distribution of child pornography.
Deckinga, 42, pleaded guilty to the charge in April 2026 and was sentenced to 180 months (15 years) in federal prison and 15 years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution to his victims.
Michael Deckinga
“The Defendant was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. To the public, Michael Deckinga presented himself as Vice President of Advancement at Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, Indiana dedicated to providing a religiously inspired education to Indiana’s young people,” U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred said in a news release. “But once behind the Internet’s veil of anonymity, Deckinga betrayed his true self. He collected a trove of some of the vilest child pornography available, which he then distributed to likeminded users. Over the same period, he sent a host of graphic online messages to multiple purported minors to solicit additional child pornography.”
After his arrest, Deckinga’s profile was removed from the seminary’s website. At the time, Mid-America President Dan Fletcher said the seminary would cooperate with law enforcement while supporting its employees and community.
According to court documents, Deckinga is married and has seven minor children. When confronted with his crime, he “demonstrated clear and unequivocal acceptance of responsibility for his conduct” and acknowledged that distributing child sexual abuse material causes “real harm to real children.”
Court documents also note there is no evidence Deckinga engaged in “hands-on sexual contact” with minors.
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The sentencing memorandum noted that while Deckinga was incarcerated in the Hammond City Jail after his arrest, he spent a “significant amount of time reflecting on his conduct and the broad range of consequences due to his actions.” According to the court documents, his primary focus is overcoming his pornography addiction.
The case reflects patterns researchers have identified in the progression of pornography addiction. Studies have examined the relationship between adult pornography consumption and later viewing of child sexual abuse material. A large-scale study conducted by the University of Eastern Finland found that viewing child sexual abuse material is often preceded by habitual consumption of adult pornography.
For those seeking help with pornography or sexual addiction, Pure Desire Ministries focuses on recovery and healing for individuals and their families. In the MinistryWatch database, it has a Donor Confidence Score of 98.
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